CC0 · no rights reserved
The Merry Wives of Windsor: Dr. Caius, Simple and Dame Quickly
From the collection of Smithsonian American Art Museum. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
American artists, actors, and writers during the nineteenth century were still heavily influenced by English literature, and Shakespeare’s plays enjoyed many revivals. In this painting, Robert W. Weir illustrated a moment in The Merry Wives of Windsor when a character finds his rival’s servant in his closet. Weir gave the two men comical expressions of horror to emphasize the slapstick nature of the scene.
Smithsonian American Art Museum’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineThe Merry Wives of Windsor: Dr. Caius, Simple and Dame Quickly. 1830. Robert Walter Weir, born New York City 1803-died New York City 1889. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum Purchase. CC0.
